Korean Job Discussion Forums

[anae]

[dogbert]

[anae]

I disagree with Hangyoreh being ethnocentric. There are articles lauding the social and cultural aspects of other nations. I felt particular comfort from this magazine during Korean holiday periods when I had to perform various household chores for hours on end as part of my duty as a Korean wife. They criticized this practice and lauded those traditions of the west in which couples freely visited both the husband's and wife's families and even the idea of pot luck to prevent women from being kitchen slaves during a supposed holiday. The art work featured in the Chusok 2000 edition with the women chasing each other around a huge frying pan with teeth bared is a classic.

As for nationalistic, you have a point there. Anti-American, I would think so. But, it is a departure from praising the way things have always been and particularly anti-authoritarian which I can't say for many other publications which were arms of the dictatorships. It definitely does not tow the Confucian line.

[dogbert]

[anae]

I know what Hangyureh means - Korean brotherhood (roughly). I don't deny that this initally presents the idea of a closed society. I have some difficulty reconciling the name with the content which at times is very critical of Korea being a closed society and oppressing foreign workers. I just disagree that it is ethnocentric in content. Maybe it is my definition of ethnocentric which is at the heart of the debate. I feel that it means that one culture judges another by its own standards. I don't feel that this publication does that. I see them as being critical of aspects of Korean society such as sexism, bribery, anti-democratic movements, education system, old boys networks in business and politics, consumerism, environmental damage, etc. If we are talking patriotism, anti-Americanism, I can't really argue with that I am uncomfortable with this as well, but I can't ask for everything at once.

People attracted to this type of publication want change in Korea. Many of them risked their lives and freedom in democratic movements in the late 80s. For many of these men, women were their equal partners in that struggle. My husband even at one time followed the line of thinking that he should never marry, because marriage might be oppressive to his wife. (well, I guess he got over that. It is hard to oppress me without my permission)

Anyway, I may have led the thread off topic by naming this publication which is not necessarily relevant. My point is that there are Korean men out there who think differently and try and change Korea one chink in the armor at a time.

[Shadow]

The gentleman from South Africa has generated a lot of controversy as a result of his posting. I have to agree with him wholeheartedly on the facts and arguments that he has presented and it is no exageration. Most Korean men are beasts. Just ask my wife. She is a 38 year old Korean lady who had to fight, scratch and claw to get custody of her two children who were previously under the watch of an abusive wife-beater with a vicious left hook.

In the article, the author cites Confucionism as the basis for this unfair and abusive system which favours the Korean man in every aspect of society and it is so true. I have Korean friends who are happily married with children who have said " my wife is just a house-wife and nothing more." That's an indication that there is a general attitude by the Korean men to keep the woman in her place. Hell, I know many Korean ladies who we jog with who have a Master's degree and have never worked a day in their life. It just doesn't make any sense to me at all.

Anyway, I just wanted to come to the author's defense even though he seems to be doing a great job of fending off these attacks by himself. I will never understand why there are so many bleeding hearts out there who always go and defend the Koreans on this issue. The fact is that the men here have no defense at least on this subject and the author has the statistics and we have our own eyes to see what is going on. Don't get me wrong about Korea. There are some good things about the culture too and it is changing ever so slowly. I should know because I'm the Shadow.

[The Lemon]

Their editorial cartoons from last winter were blatantly racist: big nosed American soldiers depicted raping a Korean man's wife while he watches helplessly, etc.

It's normal for a newspaper to have a bias or slant. Most do. But Hankoryeh often crossed the line, to hate propaganda. At least, that was the rationalization of many Koreans, when confronted with copies of the paper: "Oh, most Koreans really don't think like that..."

[Beatnik009]

Shadow - you da Man! Just a note from the so-called "gentleman from South Africa" (born SA, now a Canadian citizen) to say that Tiberious's demand for links to positive pieces about Korea is now (hopefully) answered.

Please see "Language Spasms and Iconoclasms" on the Off-topic forum, and "In Their Shoes" on the same forum. They are a few weeks old so should be pretty far back - do a search.

But more to the point, I am putting up a new posting of a piece published last year in a magazine out of Daejeon, the Dis n' Dat Daejeon, which is now going to be available only on-line. The editor has moved to Seoul, contact him at [email protected] It is nauseatingly positive and endangers my reputation as an inconsolable cynic. Bah!

This series, incidentally, will be published on the on-line DDD, among others - the revised series, that is, with corrections and embellishments courtesy of the acid bath that is Dave's ESL Cafe.

Butterfly, you are a tenacious wretch if nothing else, I mean it in the nicest way - let's take up the cudgels again in a subsequent post. You've prompted me to do some more serious homework, and I am coming back armed to the teeth with facts and figures - and, yes, lots of speculation and impression and observation and commentary. We will meet, Sir, on the hustings! (kinda?)

[dogbert]

[PootyTang]

My wonderful Korean wife keeps telling me that back in Korea....the new generation of men are helping around the house. So this weekend added my already long list of chores is LAUNDRY and DISHES 2X A WEEK

Christ, for all I know she's been reading your posts.




now I have to:

Cut the grass/sweep back porch / All yard related work...(100 degree heat and at least 110-115 for a few days this summer)
Take out the garbage (am) / bring back the garbage can from the street... (pm)
Feed dogs/walk dogs (she helps with this one)
Sweep the tile floors/mop tile floors (she helps with this)
Change the oil in both trucks (every month it seems)
Wash trucks every week.
Wash dishes and Laundry 2x a week.

[Mellow Mushroom]

So this weekend added my already long list of chores is LAUNDRY and DISHES 2X A WEEK

now I have to:

Cut the grass/sweep back porch / All yard related work...(100 degree heat and at least 110-115 for a few days this summer)
Take out the garbage (am) / bring back the garbage can from the street... (pm)
Feed dogs/walk dogs (she helps with this one)
Sweep the tile floors/mop tile floors (she helps with this)
Change the oil in both trucks (every month it seems)
Wash trucks every week.
Wash dishes and Laundry 2x a week.


Fine, but just don't do TOO much because my wife compares me with you. I don't want to come out of this looking too bad. Actually, I already take out the garbage, wash dishes and do laundry. We don't have any dogs so I'm covered there. Ditto the yard (an all dirt backyard is highly underrated I tell ya). If I washed our car and truck every week my wife would actually be upset since our water bill is high enough already. OK, I guess I'm safe for now.

Back on the subject, Korean women might suffer from some or all of the ills mentioned, but have you ever overheard a Korean couple fighting? The woman kicks butt hands down. There were some humdingers in the apt. right above mine a few years back. I was so impressed I actually got some video footage (video is actually of their door, but the audio comes across loud and clear - emphasis on loud).

[anae]

The Lemon:

[steroidmaximus]

My chores:

Vacuum and mop the floors
tend the vegetables (we have plants in our porch)
do the dishes at least 3X a week
take out the garbage and recyclables
do most of the grocery shopping
give the baby her bath
change nappies when needed (but my wife does more of this)
do almost half the cooking (I do mostly weekends and lunches since I'm at work in the evenings)
clean the refrigerator once every 2 weeks
clean the drains once a week (bathroom and kitchen)

and work full time

you guys get off easy, but then my wife thinks I'm a god

[Trinny]

You guys got to see how my hubby tamed me:

When I told him he had to help me with chores, he immediately took me to the backyward where all the siding boards were neatly stacked, showing me the nail gun, air compressor and table saw, and said, "Now, you can put the siding boards up with this nail gun, while I am loading the dish washer." And I gave it a shot, but the boards didn't get screwed in properly. Then, he went on, "No, no, that is not the way to nail it down. Give it a good whack, when pulling the trigger."

Oh, well. What can I say? I never brought up house chores to him again, from that day on. I realized that I was in a no-win situation trading my chores off with his construction projects.

[Alias]

Is it true that Hanchongnyon are actually opposed to inter-racial dating? Strange for a so called radical leftist group. It contradicts leftists organizations back home.